May 11, 2007– Visiting Friends at Everest Base Camp

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You know it’s really tough to trek all the way to Everest Base Camp.  I’ve told people for years if you think you want to climb Everest the best thing to do is first do the trek to Everest Base Camp.  I’m usually not believed about that but I can guarantee people who have done it know exactly what I’m talking about.

It’s the altitude and now as we approach the final distances into Everest Base Camp, it’s walking on the uneven rocks of the moraine.  This team is doing great but I can guarantee you when they get home they’ll have a look in their eye saying that they’ve done something really tough.

This morning when we first woke up at Gorak Shep I saw Mike outside his room with the look of a guy who had had a hard nights sleep at altitude.  He had a headache and he had not slept well.  This is not uncommon at all.  We got together at breakfast and we found out that Ben and Cam also had a bad night and felt after their high point on the slopes of Kala Pattar yesterday they wanted to head down.  So Ang Temba, Ben and Cam started down to Pheriche to stay at the lodge by the Himalayan Rescue Association and see the doctor.  They’ll be fine, they’re proud of reaching their high point and accomplishments but they knew the challenges of walking up the moraine today was going to be too much.

The rest of us started out right after breakfast.  The team that finally went all the way was Jay, David, Mike, Gary, Dan and Johnny, myself and several Sherpas.  It took us about 3 hours of walking up the rubble of the moraine to reach base camp.  The first camp we went to was the Nepal Television Sherpa Lions Club, Super Sherpa expedition.  We found all our friends there, it was amazing.  We walked in and saw a number of the Sherpas from last falls Berg Adventures successful Everest expedition.  We also saw my old friend Apa who as you all probably know has 16 summits on Everest and is the most famous Sherpa climber.

We were welcomed into a tent where the guys were really pleased to see that they were graciously offered tea at this team’s camp.  We sat and drank tea as we watched Apa try to call his wife back in Salt Lake City on the satellite phone.  Apa’s family now lives in Salt Lake but he’s over here continuing his tradition as a great Everest climber.

We continued to meet more of our old Sherpa friends.  I should also tell you that we didn’t even stop at that bakery at Everest Base Camp.  Last night our trek staff who I think heard me talking about the cheesecake made fabulous cheesecake for us at our lodge in Gorak Shep.  By the time we visited with many friends it was beginning to snow and we walked right past the bakery and came on back to Gorak Shep.

Today the trip to Everest Base Camp was Jay’s Christmas present from his wife and family.  She had contacted Berg Adventures months ago before Christmas about this surprise for Jay.  The rest of the team had planned on their own for this trip but I can guarantee that it was really a gratifying, exciting and challenging accomplishment to do it today.  Everybody is doing great.  We will be heading back down the valley together and hook up with Ang Temba, Ben and Cam tomorrow.  We have a lot of great adventures ahead with our Sherpa friends in the Khumbu.

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